Firing mechanism for a toy gun



Sept. 1, 1970 G. FERRI FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN Filed May 31, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

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FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN Filed May 31, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 P 1970 G. FERRI 3,526,052

FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN Filed May 31. 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 1, 1970 G. FERRI 3,526,052

FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN Filed May 31. 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet, 5

Sept. 1, 1970 G. FERRI 3,526,052

FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN Filed May 51, 1968 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 r-| a f 1 53 f 53/;

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I r K 59A 595 525 535 635 55 57A 67 51 Sept. 1, 1970 ca. FERRI FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN '7 Sheets-Sheet. '7

Filed May 31, 1968 United States Patent 3,526,052 FIRING MECHANISM FOR A TOY GUN Giampiero Ferri, Via Stoppani 38, Florence, Italy Filed May 31, 1968, Ser. No. 733,433 Claims priority, applitation Italy, June 7, 1967,

Int. Cl. F41c 3/06, 3/08 US. CI. 42-57 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a firing mechanism for a toy gun.

BACKGROUND- OF THE INVENTION It has already been proposed to provide a firing mechanism for a toy-gun in which the ammunition takes the form of a strip of caps of cup-like form. Firing is effected by coiling the strip around a cylinder which acts on an anvil for a firing pin and moving, by means of a trigger, a striking mass carrying the firing pin.

One object of the invention is to provide a firing mechanism which is easy and inexpensive to make, but nevertheless positive in operation. A further object of the invention is to provide a firing mechanism which is compact. An additional object of the invention is to provide a firing mechanism which is capable of being incorporated in toy guns of various types, such toy guns being arranged with a recess to accommodate said mechanism. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided in a firing mechanism for a toy gun capable of using a strip of caps each cap being of cup-shape, a cylinder acting as an anvil for firing the caps, means defining a striking mass for effecting firing of successive caps, a firing pin carried by the striking mass, and lever means operable to effect said firing by release of the striking mass, the improvement comprising a box casing accommodating the cylinder, the striking mass, the firing pin and the lever means, said striking mass having a recess into which the cylinder is at least partially inserted and a groove engageable by the lever means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a toy gun which accommodates in the two-part casing thereof, a firing mechanism in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an external side view of the firing mechanlsm;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section, to an enlarged scale, on line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively sections on lines IVIV and VV of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are sections similar to that of FIG. 5, but illustrating stages reached during the insertion of a strip of caps;

FIG. 9 is a general perspective view of the mechanism;

3,526,052 Patented Sept. 1, 1970 Fee FIGS. 10 and 11 are perspective views of a member serving as the striking mass of the mechanism;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the trigger of the mechanism;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a strip of caps for use in the mechanism;

FIG. 14 is a side view, partially in longitudinal section, of another embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a section on line XV-XV of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side view, in partial section, of the side of,the mechanism opposite that of FIG. 14 during the arming stroke of the fire means of the mechanism;

FIG. 17 is a section taken along the line XVII-XVII of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a view similar to that of FIG. 16 but illustrates the unit at the instant wherein the firing trip is about to take place;

FIG. 19 is an overall perspective view;

FIGS. 20 and 21 are respectively sections on lines XXXX and XXIXXI of FIG. 14;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary section of a loading track as indicated by arrows XXIIXII of FIG. 14;

FIG. 23 and 24 illustrate in perspective views, an internal member which is movable within the mechanism as a striking mass;

FIGS. 25, 26 and 27 illustrate respectively the mechanism as assembled in various toy gun casings;

v FIG. 28 is a fragmentary section on the line XXVIII- XXVIII of FIG. 16; and

FIG. 29 illustrates a fragment of a strip of caps for the embodiment of FIGS. 14 to 28.

Referring to FIG. 1, the casing of a toy gun 1, which may be formed by two connected portions, which portions are for example integral with a trigger guard 1A and a butt 1B. The casing 1 accommodates a housing 3 formed by two haves, arranged to contain a box casing with the mechanism which is the subject of the present invention. The housing 3- has the form of the cylinder of a revolver or other gun, so that the stock is made to enable the box casing, which thus simulates the cylinder of a real gun to be at least partly visible. In the arrangement of FIG. 1 a flexible blade-like element 4 is provided, which is slidable and forms a closure to provide access to a rear portion of the housing 3 to allow the unloading of a spent strip of caps.

The housing 3 is formed by two halves 3A, 3B, connected to one another, and which together form a hollow cylindrical wall with an inclined openeing 5 in the pe riphery for the loading of strip caps, a lower opening 7 through which the trigger extends and a rear opening 9 which corresponds to the opening of the gun casing provided with the blade-like element forming a slidable door of the stock shown in FIG. 1 for the discharge of the strip of the spent caps. The rear opening 9 is advantageously flanked by extensions of semi-circular profile 3C of the housing 3. The two halves 3A, 3B of the casing are connected together by plug or pin connecting members on one side and plug-seat or housing means on the other sides. Three connecting means including pins 11 and 13 and 14, in the half 3B, are accommodated in the seats 11A, 13A and 14A of the half 3A.

The housing 3 accommodates the firing mechanism, which is firmly retained by suitable locating stops within the housing 3.

The firing mechanism includes a. sheet metal box casing formed by two portions 15 and 17. The portion 17 has tags 17A (FIG. 9) by which the two plane portions 15, 17 are connected to each other and spaced apart.

The two portions 15 and 17 are shaped at their peripheries and are stamped with bores and folded tags for several purposes as hereinafter described.

A moulded element 19 is located rearwardly between the two portions 15 and 17 and this element is retained in an appropriate position in the housing formed by the portions 15, 17. The element 19 is substantially circular, with stepped circumferential edges 19A, which serve as guides for sliding the strip of caps. The opening is tangential with respect to these circumferential guides. The opening 5 is also shaped to house slidably and guide the strip of caps. The element 19 is interrupted in alignment with the introduction opening 5 and with the section adjacent the opening 9, to form a free space sufficient for the loading and unloading of a strip of caps. The element 19 has a front opening 19B, which corresponds to the position of the cap, and which is to be fired.

Acylinder 21Vis arranged centrally in the circular cavity 7 defined by the element 19 and this cylinder is supported by means of pins 21A and 21B, extending axially from the cylinder and accommodated within corresponding apertures in the plane portions 17 and 15 of the box cas ing. A helical spring 23 surrounds the pin 21B and acts between the plane portion 15 and the cylinder 21 to bias the cylinder against the internal surface of the plane portion 17 (FIG. 3) so as to prevent excessive rotational speed and to locate the box casing in which the cylinder 21 is located in desired relation with respect to the circumferential guide formed by the steps 19A. The cylinder 21 has two peripheral arrays of radial pins 21C, which cooperate with shoulders of the strip of caps. The cylinder 21 has, between the two arrays of radial pins 21C, a cylindrical surface against which the caps lie, and which serves as an anvil surface for firing the caps.

The cylinder 21 has, on the front wall from which the pin 21B extends, a series of teeth 21E (see FIGS." 3 and 4), for effecting the intermittent angular advance of the cylinder 21. In the assembly, the cylindrical pereiphery of the cylinder 21 and the inner profile of the housing formed by the element 19 define a slide seat for accommodating the strip of caps slidable with respect to the element 19 and to engage rotationally with the cylinder 21 to effect the engagement thereof during the insertion operation and to be entrained thereby during the tripping advances for the successive firing of the caps and also for the unloading of the spent strip.

The Plane portions 15 and 17 each has a slot 150 and 170 respectively which extend parallel to each other and in the longitudinal direction of the mechanism. The striking mass, 25, is slidable in these slots and is shown separately in FIGS. and 11. The mass 25 has two parallel wall surfaces 25A by means of which the mass is guided within the portions and 17. Two opposite shoulders 25B extend from the walls 25A and have a hook at their rear ends 250. The two shoulders 25B are slidable in the slots 15C and 17C so as to guide the striking mass 25 in the track thereof with respect to the box casing 15, 17.

The striking mass is energized by springs in the direction of the arrows f1 until it abuts against two tags 15B and 17B, folded one against the other by the two portions 15, 17 of the box casing. The two tags 15E, 17E therefore form a stop defining the maximum stroke of the striking mass 25 in the direction of the arrow f1. The tags cooperate with the end surface 25E of the striking mass 25. The portions 15, 17 have tags 15F, 17F folded outwardly and which engage an intermediate turn of respective springs 27. Each of the springs 27 has an upper bent arm 27A, which acts on a front corner (looking at the drawing on the left) of the corresponding portion 15 or 17. Each spring also has a lower arm 27B which engages in the respective hooked projection 25C of the striking mass, which hooked projection extends outwardly through the respective slot 15C or 17C, the springs 27 lying outwardly of the respective plane portions 15 and 17. The springs 27, act between the corners of the portions 15, 17 of the box casing and the tags 15F and 17F, with their arms 27B, bias the striking mass in the direction of the arrow f1. The springs 27 are sufiiciently strong and pre-stressed because it is possible to effect the tripping of the striking mass 25 and thus of the firing pin carried thereby.

In order to mount the firing pin, on an upper laterally projecting portion 25F of the mass 25, a metal blade 29 is secured to the mass 25 by screws and forms an extension 29A which serves as the firing pin. This pin 29A is located in alignment with the opening 19B of the element 19 and in front of the cylindrical surface included between the two arrays of pins 21C of the cylinder 21.

In order to effect the movement of the striking mass 25 in the opposite direction to that of the arrow f1, there is provided a trigger 31, which is assembled on the box casing to be ready for angular and sliding movement the substantially vertical direction. For this purpose, the portions 15, 17 have lower wings 15G, 176 each having an inclined slot 17H in FIG. 9. The trigger 31 together with its opposed pins 31A is slidably engaged in the slots 17H of the wings 15G, 176.

The trigger 31 has an upper toothed extension 31B, which is engaged in a lower recess 25G of the striking mass 25. A helical spring 33 is accommodated in an appropriate groove of the trigger 31, and acts with its two arms between one of the tags 17A and the upper extension 3113, in such a direction as to bias the trigger 31 to slide with the pins 31A upwardly in the slots 17H. Moreover, the spring 33 loads the trigger to rotate about the pins 31A in the clockwise direction, that is, in the direction of the arrow f2 of FIG. 5. When a force is applied to the trigger 31 in the direction of an arrow f3 (FIGS. 7 and 8), the extension 31B acting against the left-hand wall (looking at the drawing) of the recess 25G, effects the movement of the striking mass in the direction opposite that of the arrows f1 whilst further loading the springs 27, while the pins 31A of the trigger lie in the bottom of the slots 17H of the wings 15G17G. When the trigger, moved in the direction of the arrow f3 of FIG. 8, just exceeds the degree of rotation indicated in that figure, the extension 31B disengages the wall of the recess 256 and the striking mass 25 trips by effect of the springs 27 in the direction of the arrow f1, while the upper end of the extension 31B slides along a surface 25H of the striking mass.

The engagement of the trigger in the inclined slots 17H of the Wings 156, 176 and the resilient bias provided by the spring 33 enables, after the tripping of the striking mass, the trigger 31 to be lowered with the aid of the pins 31A along the slots of the Wings 156, 176, and the extension 31B slides along the surface 25H, in such a manner as to return the recess 256, ie to the configuration shown in FIG. 5. At the end of the tripping stroke of the striking mass 25, the firing pin 29A of the plate 29 strikes the cap which is located in the firing position.

The sliding of the striking mass 25 is effected by the action of the trigger 31, which besides effecting the firing of the cap, during the stroke in the direction opposite the arrow 1, also determines an angular advance or traverse of the cylinder 21. For this purpose, on the striking mass 25 on the side of the upper projection 25F there is secured one end of a leaf spring 35, the other end of which has a tooth 35A, capable of acting on the teeth which are located (as viewed in the drawing) at the bottom of the teeth 21E cut on the side of the cylinder. During the action of the trigger 31 in the direction of the arrow f3, the tooth 35A is moved in a direction opposite to the arrow f1 and thus engages one tooth of the teeth 21E thereby producing an angular movement of the cylinder 21 through a limited angle which corresponds to the pitch between the radial pins 21C, this pitch corresponding to the pitch between the individual caps of a strip.

FIG. 13 illustrates a strip of caps 37 which includes a pair of connecting wire-like elements 37A, forming the strip itself, said wire-like elements serving to connect eight caps 39 of cup shape to one another. The strip 37 has a rear extension 37B and has other shaped parts for purposes which are not of interest in the present specification. A pair of forward projections 41 and a pair of rearward projections 43 are also provided.

A strip of caps 37 is inserted in the firing mechanism in the direction of the arrow f of FIGS. 4 and 5 in the loading opening 5 (as shown particularly by the broken lines in FIG. 5). This operation is facilitated by the presence of the rear extension 37B of the strip. The strip 37 arrives tangentially at the cylinder 21 as shown in FIG. 5 and in this way, the projections 41 of the strip contact one pair of the pins 21C.

Continuing the insertion of the strip in the direction of the arrow f5, from the position reached in FIG: 5, the position reached in FIG. 6 is attained, entrainingtherewith the cylinder by the effect of the thrust of the projections 41 on the aforesaid pair of pins 21C. The insertion of the strip of caps is stopped by the abutment provided by the firing pin 29A at the first cap 39A of the caps 39, the trigger 31 and the striking mass 25 being located as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 during the loading. At the completion of loading, that is, in the configuration of FIG. 6, the end 37B of the strip 37 is located partly in the opening 5. During the loading and in the configuration reached by the strip 37 around the cylinder 21, the same strip is guided and is compelled slightly to curve, by the effect of the sliding along the guides formed by the steps 19A."-

After having inserted the strip to the position'shown in FIG. 6, on commencing a first action on the trigger to effect the firing of the first cap 39A, the cylinder 21, by means of the tooth 35A of the leaf spring 35, is so moved that a pair of the radial pins 21C subsequent to those engaged during the insertion by the projections 41 of the strip, in turn contacts the projections 41, after a first portion of idle advance, and entrain the strip for a restricted stroke suflicient to bring the cap 39A from the position shown in FIG. 6 into the firing position shown in FIG. 7. It is to be noted that this partial entrainment takes place in the last portion of the stroke of the striking mass in the direction opposite to that of the arrow f1 and thus the percussion pin 2% has already been moved by the subsequent movement of the cap 39A.

After the firing of the first cap, the subsequent actions on the trigger effect intermittent angular advances of the cylinder 21 and thus of the strip 37, and the firing of successive caps. With the advance of the strip, a pair of the pins 210 contacts the rear projections 43- of the strip 37. At the end of the strip, only the rear projections 43 will be engaged by the pins 21C and thus will effect the advance of the strip 37. With the continua tion of the advance movements, the front end of the spent strip leaves substantially tangentially through the opening 9 formed in the parts 3C of the halves forming the housing 3, as shown clearly in FIG. 8. This tangential delivery is made possible by the interruption of the steps 19A and in effect is caused by the tendency of the strip to straighten out. The spent strip 37 after the firing of the last cap is easily delivered through the opening 9 after opening the element 4, although it is possible also to provide for a spontaneous fall of the strip from the outer casing, that is from the stock of the toy gun.

It is to be noted that at each shot, that is at each action of the triggers, the firing pin 29A is separated from the surface of the cylinder 21 allowing the tripping advance of the strip 37, at the end of the firing and the advance, the firing pin 29A is located in the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 to form once again a stop used in the loading of a fresh strip, as hereinbefore described.

In the eint odiment of FIGS. 14 to 29, a box-like casing or frame 51 is made of sheet metal and has an elongate rectangular form (FIGS. 20 and 21). This frame 51 has two longer lateral walls 51A and 51B two front and rear walls 51C and 51E, and two flanges 51F extend ing at an intermediate position from the upper edges of the two sides 51A and 51B. A cylinder 53 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 55 on the flanges 51F. This cylinder 53 has a wide peripherally grooved seating 53A for a strip of caps, and this seating is defined by two disc-like side flanges 53B and 53C, the flange 53B being provided with a set of teeth 53E for the tripping advance of the cylinder 53, in the manner hereinafter described and with the following members. The seating 53A is completed laterally by a pair of annular channels or grooves 53F cut in the opposed inner faces of the annular flanges 53B and 53C. The flanges 53B and 53C have a peripheral interruption defined by two recesses 53G (FIG. 22), which define an opening to facilitate the loading operation of a strip of caps. The grooved seating 53A leads on one side into the recesses 53G and on the other side ends in alignment with an abutment 53H (FIG. 22). Associated with the recess 53G there is also asmall tooth 53L. The seating 53A serves to accommodate a strip of caps 57 such as that shown in FIG. 29, and includes further caps 57A connected by transverse jumpers provided with two flexible stems 57B, which flank the aligned caps. The stems 57B end at a grid-like connection portion 57C, serving as an end tag. The strip 57 can be loaded in the direction of the arrow in of FIG. 16 in one position of the assembly of members to be described hereinafter and can be unloaded in the direction opposite to the one indicated by the arrow fll with respect to the seat 53A, with a tangential operation at the zone of the recess 536.

For the loading of a strip of caps, the stems 57B are inserted tangentially in the channels or grooves 53F in the direction of the arrow 111 and theg rooves guide the assembly of caps slidably in the annular seatnig 53A, to arrive at a stop against the internal projections 53H. In this configuration, the the extension 57C is inserted and retained under the small tooth 53L. For unloading spent caps, it is suflicient to raise the end] 57C which is located in alignment with the recess 53G and provide for the extraction in the tangential direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow in of FIG. 16. In this operation, the caps must be free to move in the seating 53A in the manner described hereinafter. In this embodiment, therefore the unloading of spent caps is effected by a movement in the direction opposite to loading, while in the first embodiment, the unloading is effected by movement in the same direction of that of the loading.

Within the frame 51 there is a movable member 59 (particularly see FIGS. 23 and 24), which carries two lateral pins 59A which are slidably engaged in two opposed slots 51G of the sides 51A and 51B. The member 59 has a wide upper recess 59B in which the cylinder 53 1s partly housed, and a lower recess 59C into which a pin 59E extends rearwardly. In the front portion of the member 59, that is at the right-hand side as viewed in FIG. 14, the member 59 has a notch in alignment with two tags 51H, bent to a square shape which extend from the frame 51 to form a locating member for the spring 61 intended to effect tripping of the member 59. This member 59 serves as striking mass for the firing pin of the caps 57A. The member 59 has adjacent the recess 59B, an extension 59F to WhlCh a metal plate 63 is secured. This plate 63 has a doubled over extension 63A to form the firing pin. The plate 63 is secured to the portion 59F by means of a lateral screw 65. The plate 63 includes a strip-like portion 63B which forms a resilient leaf spring having an end tooth 63C capable of cooperating with the teeth 53E of the cylinder 53 to effect the tripping advance of the cylinder. Below the portion 59F, the member 59 has a control tooth 59G to be engaged by the trigger.

The part forming the trigger 67 includes a lower extension 67A, which is appropriately shaped. The trigger 67 is pivoted by two pins 67B in the frame 51 and is extended to form a tooth 67C arranged to cooperate with the tooth 59G. A light spring 69 is provided and acts between the portion of the trigger 67 which is located 7 above the pins 67B and a tag 51L stamped and bent out from the front portion 51C of the frame 51.

The assembly of parts which is substantially contained within the frame 51, is housed within a casing in two or more sections, which is shaped to simulate any real gun, provided only that the extension 67A is located in an appropriate position to represent the trigger and that the cylinder 53 is accessible in a loading and unloading position of the strip of caps, to be effected through the re cesses 53G. In FIGS. 25 to 27 three possible location arrangements are shown. It will be noted that in these three arrangements there are provided three pivotal covers respectively 71X, 71Y, and 71Z which can be pivoted to give access to the cylinder 53 for the operation of loading and unloading and which can be closed when the gun is to be fired and thus effect the successive firings of the caps. Such covers are not, however, essential and can be replaced by slidable covers. The mechanism may be applied to toy guns of shapes dilferent than those illustrated and may be combined with devices which reproduce bursts of fire.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 14, the member 59 is biassed by a pre-loaded spring 61 against the internal surface of the rear wall 51E. The spring 61 is located by a pin 59B and acts at a predetermined distance from the pins 59A and thus always tends to bias the member 59 in a clockwise direction with respect to these pins 59A (looking at FIGS. 14 and 18), even when the member 59 is moved from left to right. The trigger 67 is biassed into a rest position by a bight spring 69, this rest position being defined by a bearing provided by the member 59. The firing pin 63A is located within the interior and against the base of a cap which is in the firing position, the cap being already fired by effect of the percussion effected by the firing pin 63A in the previous trigger action. The tooth 63C is located at a predetermined distance from the lower arc of the annulus of teeth 53E. The teeth 67C and 59G are partly opposed to interfere for the purposes to be described hereinafter. The caps which are under the one in the position corresponding to the firing pin 63A are still to be fired.

When action on the trigger extension 67A is commenced the trigger 67 is rotated in the clockwise direction, FIGS. 14 and 18, and thus in the counterclockwise direction looking at FIG. 16, an initial thrust is set up by the tooth 67C on the tooth 596 and thus an initial traverse of the member 59 and of the firing pin 63A from left to right as viewed in FIG. 14 and thus from right to left as viewed in FIG. 16. At an intermediate position of the angular stroke of the trigger 67A (see FIG. 16), the firing pin 63A is retracted from the spent cap, and the pins 59A are positioned in an intermediate position in the slots 51G and the tooth 63C of the leaf spring 63B is about to act on the teeth 53E. This intermediate position allows the free rotation of the cylinder 53 and also allows the strip of caps 57 to slide in the seat 53A and in the annular channels 53F for the unloading and reloading operations. This intermediate position may be stabilized to make the unloading and reloading operations easy, by means of a suitable interception member in at least one of the slots 51G for example a pin 73 (FIG. 28) movably supported in the outer casing wherein the device is housed. This interception member (such as the pin 73) prevents the return of the member 59' into the initial position shown in FIG. 14 under the action of the spring 61. For the unloading and re-loading. operations of a strip of caps, the cylinder 53 may be orientated angularly to present the recesses 536 in an accessible position, for instance, in alignment with the openings which are closed by the covers 71X, 71Y, 71Z.

When the loading of a strip of caps has been effected, or when no provision for replacement is required (and thus the pin 73 or other interception member of the slot 51G is omitted), it is possible to proceed to an additional action on the trigger in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 14 and 18 (and thus in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 16). In this way, the member 59 is further moved to the right-hand side as viewed in FIGS. 14 and 18, and the spring 61 is further compressed by the action of the tooth 670 on the tooth 59G. When the configuration shown in FIG. 18 is reached, the tooth 67C is released from the tooth 59G and rides off beneath it soas to free the member 59, which member is continuously biassed by the spring 61 and also angularly in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 14 around the pins 59A. As soon as the tooth 59G has disengaged from the tooth 67C of the trigger, the spring 61 efi'ects the tripping of the member 59 and thus of the firing pin 63A from the right to the left-hand side as viewed in FIGS. 14 and 18. In the meanwhile, that is, in the passage from the configuration of FIG. 16 to the configuration of FIG. 18, the tooth 63C of the leaf spring 63B has effected the angular advance or traverse of the cylinder 53 through one pitch, by the action of the teeth 53E. Therefore, when the unit 59, 63, 63A is tripped by the action of the spring 61, the firing pin 63A enters a subsequent cap to be fired and causes the firing thereof.

At the end of the tripping stroke of the unit 59, 63, 63A, the tooth 67C of the trigger 67 is located beyond the tooth 59G, that is on the right-hand side of said tooth 59G, as viewed in FIG. 14. When the trigger 67 is released, the light spring 69 'biasses the trigger 67 again in the counterclockwise direction (FIG. 14) and the spring 69 produces a pressure action through the back of the tooth 67C onto the back of the tooth 59G. For this reason, a slight lifting of the part 59F of the member 59, is effected around the pins 59A, the action of the spring 61 being overcome, until the tooth 67C is relocated again in front of the tooth 59G, that is again in the configuration of FIG. 14, while the member 59 is returned by the spring 61 into the position shown in FIG. 14, where the tooth 596 is again positioned in front of the tooth 67C which has passed it. The mechanism is thus ready for a fresh firing.

After having effected the firing of all the caps, it is possible to act on the trigger 67 to insert the intercepting pin 73 or other member in one of the slots 51G to co act with the corresponding pin 59A. The movable members are thus brought into the arrangement of FIG. 16 and in this way the free angular movement of the member 53 is permitted for the unloading operations of the spent strip and for loading of a new strip in the direction of the arrow f11.

What is claimed is:

1. In a firing mechanism for a toy gun capable of using a strip of caps each cap being of cup-shape,

a cylinder acting as an anvil for firing the caps,

means defining a striking mass for effecting firing of successive caps,

a firing pin carried by the striking mass, and

lever means operable to effect said firing by release of the striking mass,

the improvement comprising:

a box casing accommodating the cylinder, the striking mass, the firing pin and the lever means,

said striking mass having a recess into which the groove engageable by the lever means. cylinder is at least partially inserted and a groove engageable by the lever means.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said box casing is adapted to be housed within a two-part casing of a toy gun, said two-part casing having an opening therein providing tangential access to the said cylinder.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:

a cover for said opening in the two-part casing.

4. A mechanism according to claim 1, for use with a strip of caps having at least one projection adjacent each end thereof, comprising:

means defining an inner annular track with a first tangential opening for loading a said strip of caps and a second tangential opening for removing a spent strip of caps, said cylinder being housed within said annular track defining means and means defining a plurality of teeth on said cylinder and arranged to co-operate with said projections of the strip of caps, one said projection serving during loading of the strip to engage the cylinder whilst the teeth on the cylinder serve to advance the strip stepby-step as the strip of caps are fired and to direct spent caps through the second tangential openings, said firing pin being arranged to act in its rest position as a stop for the strip inserted through the first opening and the teeth of the cylinder serving to engage the leading projection, whereby on first actuation of the lever means after loading the first cap is moved to the firing position. 5. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said box casing includes:

two plane portions each having a slot therein, and

wherein said striking mass includes projections arranged to slide in respective said slots, said mechanism further comprising:

resilient means biasing the projections of the striking mass to brink the striking mass to the firing position. 6. A mechanism according to claim 5, wherein: said lever means comprises a trigger and said trigger is slidably pivoted and is biassed to the firing position after completion of a given firing operation. 7. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said striking mass is slidably and angularly movable with respect to the box casing.

8. A mechanism according to claim 7, comprising:

resilient means biassing the striking mass towards said cylinder.

9. A mechanism according to claim 8, comprising:

means defining a tooth on said striking mass and means defining a tooth on said lever means,

the teeth of the striking mass and the lever means cooperating to effect tripping of the striking mass,

the back faces of the two teeth being shaped to cooperate, after the tripping action and return of the lever means to its rest position, to displace the striking mass.

10. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said box casing includes two sides each having a slot therein,

the striking mass has two lateral pins arranged to slide in the slots and an interception member is provided in one of the slots to define an intermediate position of the striking mass,

said cylinder being freely rotatable for loading and unloading when the striking mass is in said intermediate position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,621,436 12/1952 Weimer et al 4'257 2,866,287 12/1958 Ryan 4257 3,304,644 2/1967 Perri et a1 42-54 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner C. T. JORDAN, Assistant Examiner us. 01. X.R 

